English

Language Arts Test

Book 1

Grade

April 2628, 2010

Name___________________________________
21609

Tips for taking the test

Here are some suggestions to help you do your best:

Be sure to read carefully all the directions in the test book.

Plan your time.
Read each question carefully and think about the answer before choosing or
writing your response.

Acknowledgments CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC is indebted to the following for permission to use material in this book:
The Tent by Valeri Gorbachev from Turtle Magazines July/August 2001 issue, copyright 2001 by Childrens Better Health Institute,
Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana. Used by permission.
Hot Job! by Audra Esposito from Scholastic News Edition 3, October 8, 2007, copyright 2007 by Scholastic Inc. Used by permission.
Photograph of fireman (RF Image No. OPW082), copyright by Glyn Jones/Corbis. Used by permission.
Excerpt and illustration from Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express by Eleanor Coerr, copyright 1995 by Eleanor Coerr, illustration
copyright by Don Bolognese.
The Snowmans Gift by Marcia Wuest, art by Mike Wohnoutka from Ladybug Magazines January 2006 issue, copyright 2006 by
Carus Publishing Co. Used by Permission.

Developed and published by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 20 Ryan Ranch Road, Monterey, California 93940-5703.
Copyright 2010 by the New York State Education Department. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or
by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the New York State Education Department.

Book 1
Reading

irections
In this part of the test, you are going to do some reading. Then you will answer
questions about what you have read.

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Book 1

Page

irections
Read this story. Then answer questions 1 through 5.

The Tent
by Valeri Gorbachev

One hot summer day, Turtle found a tent in the sand. Cool! he said.
Now I can escape from the hot sun, and he crawled inside.
Hey, Mouse! Come and see the tent I found, said Turtle. It is a great
place to escape from the hot sun!
Thank you, said Mouse, and he crawled into the tent.
Hey, Frog! called Turtle and Mouse. Come and see our tent. It is nice
and shady in here.
Thanks, said Frog as he crawled inside.
Hey, Rabbit! they called. Come into our tent and cool off!
Thank you, said Rabbit, crawling inside.
Hello, Elephant! said Turtle, Mouse, Frog, and Rabbit. We would ask
you to join us inside our tent, but there is no more room. We are very sorry.
I am the one who is sorry, said Elephant. You see, this is not a tent. It is
my hat.
Oh, said Turtle. We will look for shade somewhere else.
Thats OK, friends, said Elephant. We can share it!

Page

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A
B
C
D

Which word best describes Elephant?

A
B
C
D

finding new friends

playing with friends
hiding from friends
sharing with friends

What is Turtle trying to escape from?

A
B
C
D

What is this story mostly about?

a tent
the heat
the sand
an elephant

curious
friendly
nervous
upset

Which event from the story

could not really happen?

A
B
C
D

A rabbit finds shade.

A frog goes into a tent.
A mouse thanks a turtle.
A turtle walks on sand.

What is the main reason Turtle uses

the hat as a tent?

A
B
C
D

The hat blocks the sun.

He finds the hat outside.
He can hide under the hat.
The hat is sitting on sand.

STOP
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Book 1

Page

irections
Read this article. Then answer questions 6 through 10.

Hot Job
by Audra Esposito
Firefighter Regina Wilson works in Brooklyn,
New York. A reporter is asking Regina
questions about how she does her job.

Reporter: How long have you been a firefighter?

Regina Wilson: Eight years.
Reporter: How did you get started?
Wilson: First, I had to take a lot of tests. Then, I

went to firefighter school for 13 weeks. I learned

how to put out fires and how to use equipment,
such as the ax and the fire hose. I also had to
work out every day!
Reporter: How do you stay safe on the job?
Wilson: I wear special clothing called bunker gear. It helps keep me protected

(safe) from fire. I also carry an oxygen tank and a mask. They help me to
breathe in a smoke-filled building.
Reporter: Are there any new tools that firefighters use?
Wilson: We have a special camera that can see in the dark. It can detect

(find) heat. That way, we can tell where a fire is located.

Reporter: Do you save pets?
Wilson: I recently helped save some kittens. They were hiding under the

beds. Pets usually hide during a fire because they are scared.

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Reporter: Do you ever get afraid?

Wilson: There is no time to be afraid. I think about what I have to do

to put out the fire safely.

Reporter: What do you like best about being a firefighter?
Wilson: Helping people!

A
B
C
D

what a firefighter does

how a firefighter is trained
what a firefighter wears
how a firefighter helps animals

10

She saved some kittens.

She used fire equipment.
She learned to put out fires.
She took a lot of tests.

working out
saving animals
helping people
using equipment

Why did the author most likely write

this article?

A to teach readers how to

prevent fires
B to make readers want to be
firefighters
C to give readers information
about firefighters
D to show readers how to use
fire equipment

Why does Regina Wilson say she

does not get afraid?

A
B
C
D

What does Regina Wilson like most

about being a firefighter?

A
B
C
D

What did Regina Wilson do first

to become a firefighter?

A
B
C
D

What is this article mostly about?

She has an oxygen tank.

She enjoys her job too much.
She knows how to fight fires.
She is too busy putting out fires.

STOP
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Book 1

Page

irections
Read this passage. Then answer questions 11 through 15.

Buffalo Bill and

thePony Express
by Eleanor Coerr
illustrated by Dan Bolognese

The Pony Express was how mail was delivered a long time ago.
Buffalo Bill decided he wanted to ride for the Pony Express
when he was 15.

Bill went in to see Mr. Majors. Bill stood tall and said, I want to join the
Pony Express.
Mr. Majors laughed, A big wind could blow you away! he said. You are
too young.
Gee whiz! said Bill. Im sixteen.
Dont try to fool me! said Mr. Majors. If you are sixteen, then Im a
lizard.
I guess Im closer to fifteen, said Bill.
Can you ride? Follow trails? Swim? Shoot? asked Mr. Majors.
Yes, sir, said Bill. I roped cattle when I was nine, and I can ride
like the wind.

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It will be no picnic, said Mr. Majors. You must ride seventy or more
miles each day. There may be trouble, too.
Im not afraid, Bill said.
I like your spunk, son, said Mr. Majors, but you must
promise not to lie, not to swear, and not to fight. And you must
deliver the mail on time, no matter what.

spunk = bravery

I promise, said Bill.

Mr. Majors showed Bill a map. Theres St. Joseph, and theres
Sacramento, California. Eighty riders and four hundred ponies carry the
mail between these cities, said Mr.Majors.
Thats a long way! said Bill.
Yup, said Mr. Majors. Its about two thousand miles. The riders travel
all day and night to carry the mail in ten days. They are twice as fast as
stagecoaches.
Mr. Majors marked Red Buttes [BEWTZ]. That is your home station,
he said. Your job is to take the mail from Red Buttes to Three Crossings.
More than seventy-five miles on one pony? asked Bill.
Of course not! said Mr. Majors. Along the way there are stations with
food, shelter, and fresh ponies. After two days rest, you ride back with more
letters.
Bill put on his red flannel shirt, a red neckerchief, blue trousers,
riding boots, and a ten-dollar hat to keep off the rain. A shiny horn
hung from his shoulder.
He was a real Pony Express rider now!

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Page

 11

In the passage, Mr. Majors tells Bill that the job will be no picnic. What does
Mr. Majors mean by this?

A
B
C
D

12

What happens right after Bill promises to deliver the mail on time?

A
B
C
D

13

He is saying that riders must leave friends behind.

He is suggesting that Bill bring his own food.
He is warning Bill that the job will be difficult.
He is explaining that riding makes people hungry.

Mr. Majors shows Bill a map.

Bill rides away on a fresh pony.
Bill puts on his red flannel shirt.
Mr. Majors says Bill is too young.

Which statement best describes Bill in this passage?

A
B
C
D

He is funny.
He is nine years old.
He is a hard worker.
He is forgetful.

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 14

What will most likely happen on Bills first ride?

A
B
C
D

15

He will ride fast.

He will be late with the mail.
He will need only one pony.
He will get scared.

Why did the author most likely write this passage?

A
B
C
D

to explain how to dress correctly

to show why maps are useful
to give information about ponies
to tell about an interesting person

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Book 1

Page

irections
Read this article. Then answer questions 16 through 21.

The Snowmans Gift

by Marcia Wuest
illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

When a snowman melts, it leaves us a gift that lasts all year. To find out
what this gift is, lets take a closer look at what happens to the snowman.
It has to be warm outside for a snowman to melt. As the sun shines, it
makes heat. We cant see heat, but we know its there because we feel the
warmth on our hands and faces.
The snowman gets smaller and smaller as it melts, until we cant see it at
all. Where did it go?
As the snowman melts, it turns into water. If you look carefully at snow,
youll see that its actually small pieces of ice (called crystals) that are stuck
together. When they get warm, the crystals change from ice into water.
But where does the water from the snowman go? The ground acts like a
sponge and soaks up the water. As the water seeps into the ground, it finds
lots of things that are thirsty. The water might find grass roots, flower bulbs,
or tree roots.

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10

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So thats the snowmans year-round giftits water!

Without water, we wouldnt have colorful flowers to look at in the spring.
Without water, we wouldnt have soft, green grass to run barefoot on in the
summer. Without water, we wouldnt have strong, tall trees to climb in the
fall. Water helps all of these things grow. The snowmans gift lasts all year.

16

What causes a snowman to begin to melt?

A
B
C
D

17

In the article, what happens when ice crystals get warm?

A
B
C
D

18

The air becomes warm.

The water turns into ice.
The ground soaks up water.
The ice crystals stick together.

They make heat.

They soak up snow.
They turn into water.
They stick together.

According to the article, what does water find in the ground?

A
B
C
D

tree roots
green grass
ice crystals
colorful flowers

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 19

Which detail is most important to the title The Snowmans Gift?

A
B
C
D

20

According to the article, which sentence about nature is true?

A
B
C
D

21

When the sun shines, it makes heat.

The water helps many different things grow.
As the snowman melts, it gets smaller.
The ground soaks up water like a sponge.

Snow is not pieces of ice stuck together.

Melting snow helps give water to plants.
The sun does not make heat in the winter.
Flowers are only colorful in the spring.

The title of the article is The Snowmans Gift. What is the snowmans gift? How
does the snowman give this gift? Use details from the article in your answer.
What is the snowmans gift?

How does the snowman give this gift?

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Place Student Label Here

Grade 3

English Language Arts Test

Book 1
April 2628, 2010